North Carolina Newspapers

The Roanoke Beacon ♦ * * * * * * and Washington County News ******* VOLUME LV—NUMBER 20 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 18, 1944 ESTABLISHED 1889 Paper must be used to keep naval shells unmarred for accuracy in firing at our enemies . . . And waste paper reserves are the lowest of any vital war material! SAVE WASTE PAPER Town opics i...s. .... Local merchants are appealing to housewives to bring their red and blue ration tokens with them when they are shopping. A great many leave them at home, and a serious shortage of tokens is resulting, as it has been impossible to secure an ad ditional supply. One or two stores were completely out of the change making tokens early this week. It was learned here Tuesday that Mrs. Mary Cotton Davenport, of Mackeys and Plymouth, had been awarded a cup by the North Caro lina Federation of Women's Clubs for the best short story written by a North Carolina woman during the year. The award was announced at the state convention of the federation, which is being held this week in Charlotte. Mrs. Davenport's many friends in the county are congratu lating her upon winning what is generally regarded in the state as one of the most distinctive annual awards made by any organization. Friends here are in receipt of cards from Pvt. Fletcher H. Modlin. for merly the popular manager of the M. H. Mitchell Furniture Company, who is now stationed with a quar termaster company at Carrp Shelby, Miss. He has been in the service for about a month and guesses he is "get ting along O. K..” although things there aren’t like they are in Plym outh. The season for hook-and-line and rod-and-reel fishing in in land watrs, closed since April 10th, will reopen Saturday of this week. May 20. A large num ber of local sportsmen are plan ning to return to the creeks and lakes of the section this week end to fish for bass and “speckled perch." Mr. and Mrs. S. P. Garrett receiv ed a letter from their son. Technic ian, fifth grade, Harry L. Garrett, an nouncing that he had arrived safely at an unnamed overseas post. Ordinarily, Highway Patrolman M. B. Stewart, stationed in Plymouth, is very even tempered and soft spoken. However, there is one motorist in this section who probably never will believe it. Said motorist was proceed ing along Highway 64 near here a few days ago just a mite over the 35 miles an hour allowed by law. Stewart came along and decided to gently re monstrate with him. He pulled up alongside and told the motorist maybe he had better slow down a bit. The man didn’t understand him and asked the patrolman what he said. About that time one of these can tankerous striped-uh—that is, one of these mean two-tone wasps with yel low stripes around the rear sector of its fuselage and armed with a .100 caliber rapid-firing stinger—flew into the patrolman's sleeve. “I said,” be gan Stewart, and then that wasp backed up and pushed, “Blankety blank, so-and-so, SLOW DOWN!” Stewart’s car started weaving and he pulled off the road to kill the insect, but not before it had left its signa ture in three big welts between his left elbow and shoulder. Whether the motorist dropped dead or sprout ed wings and flew, Stewart doesn’t know to this day, but undoubtedly there’s one driver who thinks North Carolina selects its road cops for then1 bull-voiced proficiency in the use of choice language. Mrs. Sabrie W. Reid, clerk to the local rationing board, this week advises all consumers to be sure to use SPARE stamp No. 37 to secure sugar for can ning purposes, and not the regu lar sugar stamp No. 37. A great many people are said to be using the wrong stamp, which means that they will lose their regular stamp No. 37, as it can not be replaced if it is torn out of the ration book by mistake. Mr. ancl Mrs. W. C. Moore re ceived a letter Wednesday of last week from their son. Sergeant Mah lon S. Moore, dated May 1, from somewhere in England. It marked the first intimation they had that their son had gone overseas. Friends of Louis Phillip Hornthal, native and resident of Plymouth for 25 years, will be interested in learn ing that he entered the Army in April and is now stationed at Camp Crowder, Mo. His wife and two children are living in Tarboro, which has been his home since leaving, Plymouth some years ago. Two Marine Corps officers who are living in Plymouth while stationed at the Edenton air base received pro motions recently, it was learned this 'See TOWN TOPICS, Page 4) Water Barrels Blamed lor Unusually Large Number Mosquitoes This Week Despite the oiling program un derway here, the town has been overrun with mosquitoes this week. Chief of Police P. W. Brown said yesterday that failure of the public to cooperate by emptying all containers of wa ter is largely responsible for the unusually large number of mos quitoes here. He especially asks that all water barrels be emptied, and any other containers that will hold water should be eli minated. Mr. Brown said that he found five barrels full of water at one place this week, and stated that they provide ideal breeding places for the winged pests. The oiling program is now un derway. with two men employed practically full time in this work. They are putting oil on all stand ing water in ditches, low spots and like places where water will stand. However, it will all go for naught unless tin cans, boxes, barrels, gutters, and all other places where water can stagnate are cleaned out to eliminate breeding places. J KILLED IN ACTION j Pfc. Alfred Davenport, of Plymouth, was killed in action at Bouganville in the South Pa cific on April 16. Son of Queenie Davenport, of Mount Vernon, N. Y., and the late Hubert Daven port, of Plymouth, he is the first colored man from the county to be killed in action during the present war. He was the grand son of Noah H. Moore and wife and Aaron Davenport and wife, of Plymouth, and highly regarded by both white and colored people here. Ten Cases Tuesday At All-Day Session Of Recorder's Court -® Is Record Session of Court In Recent Months; Few Cases Continued Ten cases were tried in recorder's court here Tuesday in the busiest and longest session held in quite a while. Judge W. Ronald Gaylord presided, and Attorney W. L. Whit ley served as solicitor for the day. Although the court continued in ses sion for the greater part of the day, a few cases were left over and were continued until next Tuesday. Following is the list of proceedings: Norfleet Pruden, white, of Gates ville plead guilty to allowing an un licensed person to operate his car and was fined $50 and costs. Charles Henry Stillman, colored, of Plymouth, was found guilty of oper ating a car without operator’s license and with improper tags. He was fined $50 and costs. Lawrence Hilliard, colored, of Plymouth, charged with assault with a deadly weapon, was fined $50 and costs and released upon promise of good behavior for the next 12 months. Fate McAllister, colored of Plym outh, was given a 60-day sentence, suspended upon payment of $25 and court costs and a $15 doctor’s bill after being found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon. J. B. Voliva, white, of Creswell, paid a fine of $15 and costs for speeding. James F. Spruill, white, of Cres well, was fined $25 and costs for care less and reckless driving. Prayer for judgment was contin ued in the case of Gaston Smith, col ored, of Plymouth, charged with hav ing failed to report an accident. Herman Spencer, colored, of Plym outh, entered a plea of guilty to pet ty larceny in one case and Judge Gaylord is reserving judgment. In 'See COUNTY COURT. Page 4) Flood of Applications lor New Tires Far in Excess of County's May Quota Eligibility for Grade I tires is not a guarantee that such tires are available, since a recent flood of applications by newly eligible drivers far exceeds the entire county’s quota of 71 for the current month, Ed H. Hill, chairman of the Washington County War Price and Ration Bolard, said this week. “Although the tire situation has Improved considerably,” Mr. Hill said, “there are still only enough for essential use. .Last week we had 69 applications for new tires, while the local board’s quota for the entire month of May is only 71,” he added. Mr. Hill also reminds car own ers to keep their tire inspection records, which will have to be presented in order to purchase new tires. Some motorists, he said, had misinterpreted the re cent OPA order suspending com pulsory tire inspection and had lost or discarded their inspection records. James L. Morris, 80, Dies From Injuries After Hii by Truck -»■ Accident Happened Near Cherry Tuesday of Last Week -<S> James Leonard Morris. 80-year-old farmer of the Cherry section of this county, died in the Colmbia hospital Tuesday afternoon of last week as the result of injuries received when he was struck that morning by a truck operated by James Phillip Spruill, 15 year-old high-school student of Cres well. Morris was walking on the road near his home when he was hit by the truck, owned by E. F. Turner, of Gatesvllle. Norfleet Pruden, also of Gatesville, was regular driver of the truck but had permitted young Spru ill to take the wheel shortly before the accident occured. The young driver was slowing down to give Mr. Morris a ride, he said, when the left front wheel locked and the heavy vehicle ran over the aged man. The accident was not reported to Highway Patrolman M. B. Stewart here until the following day, and he immediately made an investigation, citing Spruill for driving without an operator's license and Pruden for per mitting an unlicensed operator to drive his truck. Tried in recorder’s court here Tuesday, Spruill was ex onerated on a -manslaughter charge, but fined $25 and costs for driving without license. Pruden was fined $50 and costs for permitting an un licensed operator to drive. Mr. Morris was a life-long resident of Washington County and a promi nent farmer of the Cherry section. He was a member of the Methodist church. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Kate Allen Morris; five daughters, Mrs. Lewis Sawyer, of Creswell; Mrs. Mit tie Roughton, of Norfolk, Va.; Mrs. Vernie Simmons, of East Lake; Mrs. Sara Bowen, of Bertie County; and Miss Edna Morris, of Norfolk, Va.; two sons, George Morris, of Roper; and Robert Morris, of the U. S. Navy; 25 grandchildren and 15 great-grand children. Funeral services were held from the late home Thursday. -9.-~<g> . — Horton Cottage at Beach Is Burned -*> The cottage at Albemarle Beach owned by H. Lewis Horton, of Plym outh, was completely destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning. It is believed the blaze started from a smoldering grass fire, the origin of which is not known. Henry Everett, who lives near the beach, saw the blaze and called the chief of the local fire department, Miller Warren, about 3 o’clock Tues day morning. Mr. Warren and S. F. Darden, county forest fire warden, went down immediately, but were unable to do anything except put out the brush fire to keep it from spread ing. Mr. Horton said Tuesday that the cottage, one of the nicest on the beach, and its contents represented a loss of about $3,500, with about $900 insurance. None of the other nearby cottages was damaged, as the wind happened to be blowing the other way at the time. Colored Bicyclist Struck by Auto John Brown, colored man about 50 years old, was seriously injured Sun day morning about 7 o’clock, when he was struck by a hit-and-run driv er on the road to the pulp mill. Brown was on his way to work at the mill at the time and was riding a bicycle. He suffered a fractured skull Matthew Lee Shepard, also colored, of Plymouth, was arrested a short time later by Highway Patrolman M. B. Stewart and lodged In jail here, charged with drunken driving and failure to remain at the scene of the accident. There were several eye witnesses to the accident, which oc curred about 200 yeards west of the Welches Creek bridge, and it was upon information furnished by them that Shepard was arrested. He is being held in jail pending the out come of Brown’s injuries. 1 | KILLED IN ACTION L. - — i Private Henry Clayton Mar riner, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Marriner, of Roper, was killed in action in Italy on January 30, his parents were informed on aMrrh 11. Private aMrriner, 23 years old, was in the parachute infantry, and had been in the service since June, 1942. Names of 171 New Registrants Put on Poll Books Here Brings Total of Qualified Voters in This Precinct To 1,438 -® No reports have been received from other precinc,., in the county, but Plymouth Township had a fairly large registration of new voters be fore the books closed at sundown last Saturday, according to Mrs. Hermine Ramsey, the registrar. A total of 171 new names were put on the books, most of them Democrats. This would indicate there is more interest in the coming primary and elections than has been generally supposed. At the present time, the registrar said there was a total of 1.438 regis tered voters in Plymouth Township, of which 1.352 are registered as Democrats and 86 Republicans. This does not represent the true strength of the two parties, however, Is it is known that a great many voters who are nominally Republicans register as Democrats in order to vote in the Democratic primaries for local of ficials. Saturday of this week, May 20, will be challenge day; but this is con sidered a formality, as very few reg istrants have been challenged in re cent years. -9 Warns Owners of Personal Property To Pay '43 Taxes — —<s Chift of Police P. W. Brown today served notice on all who owe 1943 poll and personal property taxes that he would take action starting June 1st to garnishee wages or seize personal property to satisfy such de linquent tax accounts. There will be no extension and no exceptions made, he said, as he has been given orders to collect these taxes. Taxpayers can save addititional costs by paying up their accounts immediately. - Series of Cigarette Thefts Cleared Up A series of cigarette thefts from the wholesale establishment of B. G. Campbell here was cleared up last week-end by the arrest and confes sion of Herman Sawyer, colored em ployee of Mr. Campbell. Around 100 cartons of cigarettes were recovered at various place,. Spencer admitted taking cigarettes from the Campbell warehouse, the thefts taking place over a period of several months, with the amount of goods taken aggregating in value around $200. Spencer said he sold the stolen cigarettes to Alton Ray nor, white, operator of the Green Oil station here, and Mr. Raynor was indicted for receiving. The cases were called in recorder's court here Tuesday, but no final de- j cision was ever rendered, and it is | expected that the matter will be tak-1 en up again next Tuesday. -» Bar Association Committee Holds Hearing Here Today A committee from the council of the North Carolina Bar Association convened in the courthouse here this morning to take evidence in a disbar ment proceeding instituted sometime ago against Edward L. Owens, Plym outh attorney. The committee is composed of Judge Albion Dunn, chairman, of Greenville; J. A. Prit chett, of Windsor: and John W. War lick, of Jacksonville. Indications are that the remainder of the day will be required to com plete taking the evidence. The com mittee will report its finding to the council of the bar association at a future date. Install New Officers At Final Meeting of P. T. A. Last Week -$ Committees Appointed and Plans Outlined by New President The Plymouth Parent-Teacher as sociation held its final meeting of the current term in the school auditor ium here last Thursday night, when new officers were installed by the re tiring president. Mrs. W. V. Hays. The new officers are Mrs. W. A. Smith, president; Mrs. A. J. Byrd, vice presi dent : and Mrs. Archie Modlin, treas urer. The association agreed to begin a campaign immediately to raise mo ney for building a coal house at the Hampton Building, in order to pre vent the scattering of coal over the playground there. Plans were also made for launch ing a drive immediately to raise mo ney for putting the gymnasium build ing here into condition for athletics and recreational use. A dance in honor of homecoming college stu dents will be given in the gymn e«r ly in June, with the following com mittee on arrangements in charge: Mrs. W. A. Davidson, Mrs. J. R. Man ning. Mrs. W. V. Hays and Mrs. W. A. Smith. The president expressed appre ciation of the association for the do nations made to the lunch room can ning project by the senior and junior Woman’s Clubs, the Eastern Star chapter, and the American Legion Auxiliary. All the money in the as sociation treasury at the end of the school term is to be turned over to this fund, which still will be about $100 short of the $600 goal, it was stated. Mrs. Smith announced the ap pointment of the following standing committees: Membership and hospitality: Mrs. T. W. Earle, representing the coun try club village; Mrs. Ray Brown and Mrs. Charles Wyndham, Little Rich wood; Mrs. W. C. Styons and Mrs. Wesley Ange. beyond tracks on Wash ington Street; Mrs. George Salyer, Washington Street; Mrs. Lester Crof ton, Brinkley Avenue; Mrs. Alton Har rison, East Main Street; Mrs. Made line Norman, West Main Street; Mrs. Carolyle Doughtie, Jefferson Street; Mrs. Dave Kulman and Mrs. Jack Peele, Third Street. Finance committee: Mrs. E. F. Still, W. Frith Winslow, Mrs. W. A. Davidson, Mrs. J. M. Polk, T. W. Earle, Mrs, J. R. Manning. Parents’ Education committee: Mrs. T. R. Jenkins and all grade mothers. Publicity committee: Mrs. W. V. Hays, W. H, Booker, R. B. Trotman. Social Hygene committee: Dr. A. Papineau, Mrs. Arthur Gay, district health officer and nurse. -<S> 38 Said Accepted From Last Call -® It is unofficially reported that 38 Negroes were accepted for service by the Army and Navy out of the large contingent of men sent to Fort Bragg from this county Friday of last week. It is emphasized that this figure is unofficial, as the final returns have not been received yet by the local draft board. If 38 were accepted, it represents about 70 per cent of the number of colored men sent to the reception center for their pre-induction examinations last week. The local board is in receipt of calls from the Army and Navy for all the colored men available from pre-induction examinations prior to the one last week. They will leave here on June 2nd to begin active service in the branch of service for which they qualified when they were examined. Although the exact num ber is not made available for publi cation, it is known that upwards of half a hundred are affected. Final Rites Held Today For Infant Near Roper -9 Funeral services are being held this afternoon for Jesse James Gar rett, six-day-old infant son of Jesse Garrett and Olean Patrick Garrett, of the Mill Pond section near Roper, The infant died yesterday afternoon after being ill two days, and the fi nal rites are being conducted at the ChesSon cemetery by the Rev. G. C. Wood, pastor of the Roper Methodist jhurch. Besides his parents, the infant is survived by a brother, Phillip Gar rett. and two sisters, Frances and Violet Garrett, all of the home near Roper. -j>_ Bank Here To Observe Saturday as Holiday -® The Branch Banking & Trust Com pany here will be closed all day Saturday, May 20, in observance of Mecklenburg Day, a state holiday. So far as could be learned, no other local firms will observe the holiday. Merchants are urged by local bank ers to get sufficient change Friday to last them until Monday. Large Group of White Men To Leave Friday For Reception Center NOW IN ITALY Corporal Leland L. Riddick, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Riddick, of Plymouth Route 1, is somewhere in Italy, according' to recent letters. .Corporal Riddick, now 25 years of age. has been in the service for four years, two of them overseas. He was first sent to England, then to North Africa and is now in Italy. Edwin Lester Cobb Dies in Accident at Creswell Last Week --— Skull Crushed When Chain Breaks, Dropping Car On Him -9 Edwin Lester Cobb, 34 years of age, was almost instantly killed last Thursday afternoon while at work on an automobile in Earl Davenport’s garage at Creswell. He was repair ing the engine of a passenger car, [and had the front end suspended by a chain hoist, w-hen the chain broke, dropping the car on him and crush ing his skull. Mr. Cobb was a native of Edge combe County, but had made his home in the Creswell section for about five years. He was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Cobb, of Rocky Mount. In addition to his widow, Mrs. Maybelle Cobb, he is survived by five sisters, Mrs. Ethel Shiffet and Mrs. Nannie Winston, of Charlottesville, Va.: Mrs. Sallie Bowden, Mrs. Nellie White and Miss Mitchell Cobb, of Rocky Mount; and three brothers, James Cobb, of Rocky Mount; Jos eph Cob. of Weldon: and Sergeant Mahlon Cobb, of the U. S. Army, now somewhere in the South Pacific. Funeral services were conducted at Christ Episcopal church Sunday morning at 10 o’clock and concluded at People's Chapel, near Rocky Mount Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock. Interment was made in the family cemetery, near Rocky Mount. Revival To Begin Sunday at Roper A one-week series of revival serv ices will begin next Sunday evening, May 21, at 8:15 in the Roper Metho dist church, it was announced yester day by the Rev. G. C. Wood, pastor. The Rev. W. Ray Anderson, of Lau rens, S .C., will be the guest preacher for the week, with the series to be brought to a close on Sunday. May 28. A song and prayer service will be gin each evening throughout the! week at 8:15, with the preaching serv ice to begin at 8:30. “The Rev. Mr. Anderson is a man of God and a great Bible preacher,'’ Mr. Wood said yesterday, “and we desire the co operation of the other churches in helping to make this meeting a suc cess." Tire public is cordially in vited and urged to attend all sendees. Most of Those Called Are Between Ages Of 26 and 30 Years No Men Over 30 Years Old In Contingent; Call Is Less Than in April -'if . while not quite as large as the list of men sent to Port Bragg last month, a large number of white men have been ordered to report to the office of draft board here Friday morning of this week for their pre-induction examinations. Last month’s white call was somewhere around 80 men. while the call leaving tomorrow will be in the neighborhood of 50. Most of those called up this month are between the ages of 26 and 30 years old, although there are a few under 26. There are five transfers from the jurisdiction of other boards to go with the county contingent. Pie-Pearl Harbor fathers are slightly in the majority, but the margin is rather slim. There are no men in the call over 30 years of age. it was stated at the office of the board. There are some farmers and farm workers in the list. Plymouth's share this time is slightly less than half of the total number called, with Creswell and Roper together furnishing most of the others. Mackeys Is on the list with one name, and, of course, there are the five transfers from other sections. A special bus or two will be on hand to take the men to Fort Bragg for their examinations. Those ac i cepted will have at least 21 days af ter they return before they will be ! called for induction into the branch : of service for which they qualify. Following is the list of those who have been ordered to report tomor ' row morning: From Plymouth: Edmund Culpep | per Griffin, Jasper Lee Squires, Sam uel Biscoe Mobley, Floyd Lawrence Simpson. Thomas Abram Terry, Dan j iel Francis Cronin. jr„ Frederick j Gilbert Simpson, Dempsey Lee Wil liams, Woodrow Wilford Goff, Eli Caswell Spruill. Jewel Eustace Wil son, William Ronald Tetterton, Al bert Garfield Watson. Russell Orda Butler. Emmett Leon Phillips. Dewey Jasper Hardison. William Thomas Hopkins, Thaddeus Theodore Har rison, Preston Earl Tucker, Emory Latham Whidbee. Eli Howard Wil liams, William Benjamin Grimes. From Creswell: Joseph Hardy Woodley. Henry Gilbert Snell, Ray mond Louis Phelps, Ervin Washington Ambrose. Will Ed Alexander, Ben jamin Franklin Wynn, Stanley Ever ett Oliver, Johnnie Nicholas Mueller. Hallet Linwood Davenport, Billy Eu gene Spruill, James Walter Peal. Douglas Erwin Phelps. From Roper: William Warren . Spruill. Charles McCoy Hassell, Ed gar Joseph Barber, William Wood row Phelps, Eugene Craddock. Wade Hampton Collins. John William Spru ill. Charlie Edward Harris. Asa Pritchett Johnson, Wesley Edwin Halsey, Edgar Llewellyn Spruill, jr., Richard Harold Craddock. From Mackeys: Daniel Clifton Everett. Transfers: Abram Elwood Corn stock. from Norfolk. Va.: Henry Owen Lovic, from Greenville: Leroy Roosevelt Snell, from Norfolk, Va.: | Wilbur Earl Cutler, from Washing ton : and Donald Wilson Hunt, from I Charleston. W. Va. Playground Equipment Is Installed and in Use -9 A considerable amount of play ground equipment was installed re cently on the grounds at the Hamp ton school here and is being put to good use by children of the town. The equipment was bought and in stalled by the Parent-Teacher As sociation with funds largely con tributed by the North Carolina Pulp Company The association and child ren alike are very grateful to pulp mill officials for making the equip ment available Memorial Service for Hubert W. Ange At Mount Olive Baptist Church Sunday A memorial service for Pfc. Hubert W. Ange, formerly of Plymouth, killed in action re cently on the Italian battle batlefront. will be held next Sunday afternoon at 3:30 in the Mount Olive Free Will Baptist church, it was announced this week. Private Ange was a mem ber of this church and a regular attendant until he went into the service in 1942. Son of the late Charlie W. Ange and Mamie Browning Ange, he was born in Washing ton County near Plymouth on November 29. 1912. His mother died when he was about 12 years old and his father about two years later. He afterwards lived with relatives in the eounty for a number of years. He was employed at the plant of the North Carolina Pulp Com pany here for about four years before he entered the army on May 14, 1942. After he went in to the service he was married to Miss Thelma Heath, of Tar boro, who, with an infant daugh ter, survives him. He also leaves three brothers and three sisters.